Fellow commissioners skeptical of colleague's tax-cut suggestion
One said the proposed budget is good and workable.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- One Lawrence County commissioner's last-minute call for a reduction in county property taxes was called a "gimmick" and a stab at "political expediency" by his fellow commissioners.
"I think there's an opportunity to do something. I do think there's an opportunity to lower the taxes. I don't want to say by how much," Commissioner Ed Fosnaught said at the start of Tuesday's commissioner's meeting just before leaving the meeting to portray Santa Claus at the county employee Christmas party.
Commissioners introduced the 2007 budget with no change in the tax rate at their Dec. 7 caucus meeting and are expected to vote on it Dec. 28.
Commissioner Steve Craig said he would be willing to discuss the reduction in taxes, but didn't see it as a likely option.
"We've got a razor-thin margin in our contingency account going into 2007. That doesn't give us a lot of wiggle room," he said.
Craig said a reduction in the 320,000 contingency and the capital fund are the only two sources he could see funding a tax reduction -- and he's not interested.
"Sure, we could flush all that money out [of the capital fund] and make it look good for an election year. But I want to leave this county in better shape than when we came in," Craig said.
All three commissioners are up for election next year.
Budget legacy
When Craig and Commissioner Dan Vogler came into office in 2005, they were left with an unworkable budget by the previous board, which consisted of Fosnaught, Brian Burick and Roger DeCarbo.
It was legally balanced, but called for a 20 percent across-the-board decrease from every department. Vogler, Craig and Fosnaught eventually reopened the 2005 budget, increased taxes and laid off about 20 employees to come up with a balanced budget.
Craig said the county won't have a year-end deficit in 2006, and one is not foreseen for 2007.
Vogler said he believes the proposed budget is a good and workable.
"We have to be careful. We have to focus on responsible governance and not political expediency," Vogler said.
He noted that a lot of work went into the proposed 2007 budget.
Fosnaught's thoughts
Fosnaught, reached after the meeting, said there is an excess 1.025 million in the budget that came from the sale of the county nursing home and interest from some county bonds. He wants to use 750,000 of that money for the tax decrease and put the rest in the county contingency.
Fosnaught said the 1.025 million is not labeled in the current budget.
But Craig said that money is the capital improvement fund.
"When we sold Hill View Manor we said we won't balance the budget [on those proceeds]," Craig said. "It's not like we sell Hill View Manor every year. ... It's a one-time occurrence and we don't have anything else to sell."
Craig said various departments have made about 300,000 in capital improvement requests this year and commissioners set them aside for consideration later out of that 1.025 million.
"I don't think we should try a gimmick going into 2007," Craig said.